Whan it is nyght and eche shulde drawe to rest Many of our folys great payne and watchynge take To proue maystryes and se who may drynke best Outher at the Tauerne of wyne, or the ale stake Other all nyght watchyth for theyr lemmans sake Standynge in corners lyke as it were a spye Whether that the weder be, hote, colde, wete, or dry Some other Folys range about by nyght Prowdely Jettynge as men myndeles or wode To seke occasyon with pacyent men to fyght Delytynge them in shedynge mennys blode Outher els in spoylynge of other mennys gode Let these folys with suche lyke and semblable Drawe to this barge, here shall they here a bable THENUOY OF BARCLAY. Ye folys that put your bodyes vnto payne By nyghtly watchynge, voyde of auauntage Leue of your foly or els ye shall complayne And mourne it sore if ye lyue vnto age For though ye thynke that this your blynde outrage Is vnto you no hurte nor preiudyce It doth your body and goodes great dammage And great cause both to you and yours of vyce. * * * * * Of folysshe beggers and of theyr vanytees. [Illustration: Syns I haue taken the charge one me Mo botis and Barges for Folys to aparayle And so agayne of newe to take the se I feryd lyst company shulde me fayle Within my folysshe shyppis to trauayle But nowe doth beggers them selfe to me present For fewe of them I fynde of good intent] A great company of folys may we fynde Amonge beggers, whiche haue theyr hole delyte In theyr lewde craft: wherfore I set my mynde In this Barge theyr maners, brefely for to write For thoughe that nede them greuously do byte. Yet is theyr mynde for all theyr pouerte To kepe with them of children great plente And though that they myght otherwyse well lyue And get theyr lyuynge by labour and besynes Yet fully they theyr myndes set and gyue To lede this lyfe alway in wretchydnes The clerke, frere, or monke, whiche hath store of ryches For all his lyfe. if he it gyde wysely. Wyll yet the beggers offyce occupy Suche oft complayne the charge of pouerte In garmentis goynge raggyd and to rent But yet haue they of ryches great plente Whiche in gode vse can neuer of them be spent Almys is ordeyned by god omnypotent And holy churche: for to be gyuyn in dede Vnto good vse, and suche as haue moste nede Almes is ordeyned by god our creatour For men that lyue in nede and wretchydnes Therwith their paynfull lyues to socour And nat for ryche that lyues in viciousnes But yet suche caytyfs boldly in dare pres For their lewde lyfe without all maner drede This almes takynge from them that haue most nede The abbot, the Pryour, and also theyr couent Ar so blyndyd with vnhappy couetyse That with theyr owne can they nat be content But to haue more, they alway mean deuyse Ye: in so moche that some haue founde a gyse To fayne theyr bretherne tan in captyuyte That they may begge so by auctoryte